Sarah Allan

She specialises in all yacht-related matters, advising owners, managers, and shipyards on contracts including sale and purchase transactions, new builds, refits, charters, and management agreements. Sarah is well versed in standard form contracts such as MYBA and ICOMIA, and regularly drafts bespoke terms and conditions for industry stakeholders. She has extensive experience in disputes arising out of the purchase, construction and refit of superyachts, providing pragmatic advice and delivering commercially focused solutions. With a background in shipping, including experience at an International Group P&I club, she is also highly experienced in handling insurance claims. Sarah has advised on some of the most significant yacht casualties, including total losses, particularly by fire, and frequently assists on coverage issues.

As an accomplished sailor and yachtmaster, Sarah has competed in international sailing events and worked on yachts. She regularly advises on matters relating to sailing regattas, racing incidents, and rules-based disputes, and works alongside the firm’s personal injury team on cases involving serious injury. A Spanish speaker, she liaises closely with colleagues in the Madrid office and across the firm’s international network, including in France and Greece. Sarah is ranked by Chambers High Net Worth for her work on yachts and superyachts, where clients describe her as someone who ‘understands the best interests of clients’ and is ‘capable of great things’. She is also recognised in Legal 500 for her insurance work in connection with yachts.